Saturday, October 23, 2010

This week I've picked up a leaflet from the Tories which attacked Labour leader Ed Miliband for being a Manchester United supporter (yes, really) and witnessed the Lib Dems destroy the economy simultaneously with any chances of future electoral support. So when I saw the following attack leaflet in its proud blue inks I thought "bloody Tories, more personalised attacks".

Indeed it's a pretty terrible leaflet (click images to see in detail, but they're quite big files) which includes printing candidates home addresses along with a handy map to help any baying mobs in the vicinity to track them down. While it's publicly available information there's something distinctly creepy about ensuring every single member of the public gets a street map to help them find the candidates of the other parties.

The map is something the Tories had used before and coupled with the blue you immediately think you're reading a Tory leaflet which really, really goes for the throat against their coalition partners. Not nice for the Lib Dems but a miscalculation for the Tories too as the public aren't keen on this kind of attack politics - particularly when it gets personal..

Hold on though... where's the Tory logo? In fact, where's any logo of any kind? Where are the contact details? Where's the exhortation to vote for a party? Weird - there's none of that. But this is a leaflet being delivered to every home during a tight byelection... surely someone's responsible?

It's in there, but you'll have to look hard for it. Take your time... here's a clue: you might need a magnifying glass.

Here's another clue, it's not on the front page... give up?

OK. Back page, bottom left hand corner in what I estimate to be point four text size we have the words "Printed and promoted by an on behalf of Camden Labour Party, all at 110 Glouster Avenue, NW1 8HX". That is the only indication on the entire leaflet that this was produced and distributed by the Labour Party.

If I was deliberately distributing rival candidates addresses with a map marking their homes I'd be fucking ashamed as well, no wonder they don't want people to know who's responsible.

This is exactly the sort of thing that we need to see the back of in politics. I've no problem with attacking the politics or record of other parties but you should do so honestly and propose alternatives in their place. This is a deliberate attempt to deceive the public and should have no place in a democracy which relies on properly informed voters. By putting out a fake Tory leaflet of this kind Labour have shown themselves to politically bankrupt and Labour candidate Jenny Headlam-Wells should hang her head.

5 comments:

It's tragedy that, just as the Labour Party is perfectly placed for London LibDem voters to come flooding to it, we find that the only people left in local CLPs are the lowest kind of student politics assholes.

This is an opportunity for the Greens if there ever was one?!

Come out of retirement Sian Berry, and save us all!

P.S. One promise only should deliver Kentish Town to a candidate - the promise to stick around and actually serve the full four years!

Is there a lowest form of life than someone that would do this kind of things just ot get an electoral advangtage.With apologies to all decent Labour supporters, but your party is particularly riddled with little shits like these.

The Lib Dems have used the idiocyncracies of the english language to try and fool Kentish Town voters that their candidate lives in the ward. Some may take a less charitable view of it. I see nothing wrong in using publicly available info to demonstrate how they're willfully misleading voters.

They've also broken a whole heap of election promises. I don't see a problem with that either.

You might also want to look at home many of their leaflets have, shall we say subtle lib dem branding on them.

Say something for yourself instead of attacking your opponents with vague accusations.I guess you can't speak for yourself and stay anonimous though.Just as this almost anoniumous leaflet from Labour but in Tory Blue and with a very small signature.Who's trying to fool who?

You guys should leave politics and go back to the playgoround, and this is not a party political point, all parties are full of people like you. We'll all be so much better when you leave.

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